Sunday Search: Telling Time

Having spent the last couple of months sorting through family photos it was time to change things up a bit. Sometimes it can get a little repetitive looking at the two dimensional as it can be difficult at times to peer over to the other side of the lens. It is times like these when I like to pull open my dresser drawer and hold the items that have been passed down to me through the family. While there are a variety of items from rings and cuff links to spoons and other knickknacks, there is a small collection of watches that I seem to go back to more often than the other items.

The Timex at the top of the photo is by no means a valuable wrist watch. It is a very simple, heavily worn watch that my grandpop used to wear. That is where the value is for me. I don’t have many memories of my grandpop but there is something about holding an item that he wore every day that brings a sense of connection and makes me wonder what that watch had been through and where it may have been as well.

The pocket watch at the bottom of the picture is something that represents both sides of my family. My great grandmother gave this Howard watch from the 1920’s to my dad years ago. He added the chain where you can see his initials. A few years ago he passed this watch down to me and I have taken it all over the world while it has also served as inspiration for numerous creative endeavors in the past. It is something that represents my mom’s family and, while I don’t recall him ever using it, something that reminds me of my dad.

The three watches in the middle came to me at different times in my life. The Citizen on the right is the first watch that I bought and it served me well for a couple of years. The Invicta in the middle was given to me by my brother at the rehearsal dinner the day before his wedding when I served as one of his groomsmen. And the watch on the left is the one that I have worn nearly every day for the past eight years. My parents gave the Hamilton Khaki Automatic to me and it has not only served me well over the years in a practical sense but it also reminds me of my parents and their generosity whenever I slow down and take a moment to appreciate it.

All of these watches have stories behind them. Some old, some new. Some tell a little bit of the story of many family while others are simply a part of my story. However, I hope to pass these down to my son, along with the stories that I know, many years from now once I have had a little more time to enjoy them. Again, that is the true value in these timepieces.